Colchester United played first-ever Football League game 70 years ago today

On August 19, 1950, the U's played their first-ever Football League match.

They travelled to play at Gillingham in Division Three (South), with the historic game at Priestfield Stadium ending in a goal-less draw watched by a crowd of 19,542.

Colchester United’s line-up for their historic first Football League match against Gillingham was:

George Wright, Albert “Digger” Kettle (the only Colchester-born player in the team), Bob Allen, Harry Bearryman, Reg Stewart, Jimmy Elder, Len Jones, Bob Curry, Arthur Turner, Johnny McKim, John Church.

The team was captained by Bob Curry and because of a clash of colours with Gillingham, the U's as the visiting team had to change to white shirts with navy blue lacings and white shorts.

Gillingham, with their home advantage, were hotly-tipped to claim victory.

However, Essex County Standard journalist Arthur Wood wrote prior to the game that Colchester 'were not worried' by the strength of Gillingham's team.

According to the Standard, U's supporters who travelled by car to Gillingham for the match found themselves in a long queue at Tilbury Ferry and some were delayed for two hours or more.

The unlucky ones arrived too late for the start of the match and found the gates closed.

The U's went by Blackwall Tunnel; their motor-coach was held up for three quarters of an hour outside Rochester, where they were caught in the South Coast traffic.

Bus-loads of supporters also had the same experience but they arrived in good time for the kick-off.

Some of those U's fans who made it to Priestfield before the game held up a banner reading 'Play up, United' behind one of the goals.

According to journalist Wood, the game was 'certainly no epic'.

However, he congratulated the U's on their performance, writing '...on putting in their satchel the first point gained by them in Third Division soccer. And believe me, plenty of other teams will be glad to do as well at Priestfield Stadium'.

Wood described Harry Bearryman has the U's hero, twice kicking the ball off the line in the first half.

He wrote that both Bob Curry and Johnny McKim had Gillingham worried and that Colchester were unlucky not to score before half-time when home keeper Gage scooped Church's effort away from near his own goal-line, after taking the custodian by surprise.

Colchester keeper Wright made several 'first-rate' saves in the second half and although Gillingham pressed, the visitors' defence stood firm as the game ended 0-0.

Wood had words of praise in particular for Kettle, Stewart and Elder.

He concluded by stating: 'The U's showed the better brand of football but Gillingham's direct methods made them more dangerous in attack. I thought the result about right'.

Colchester, newly promoted to the Football League from the Southern League, got off to a wonderful start in their first season, 1950-1951.

They drew their first three league matches and then won the next four, remaining unbeaten in their first seven league matches.

Nearly a quarter of a million people (243,104 to be precise) watched the U’s first 23 Football League matches at Layer Road in 1950-1951.

That was an extraordinary achievement, considering that the U’s had only recently been a non-league club.

The U’s average home league gate that season was 10,569.

Two matches – against Bournemouth on September 7, 1950 and against Ipswich Town on November 4, 1950 – attracted crowds of more than 14,000 (v Bournemouth: 14,100; v Ipswich 14,037).

Only two points were awarded for a league win in those days and there were no substitutes.

The maximum wage in English professional football in 1950 was £12 (during the season) and £10 (in the summer).

What was life like in 1950 when the U’s played their first Football League match?

The average weekly wage was £7 5s 9d (or £7.29p in modern money) (source: Office For National Statistics).

A gallon of petrol cost three shillings (15p in modern money) (source: Shell).

A pint of bitter cost one shilling and fourpence (7p in modern money) (source : Brewers’ Society).

The average British house cost £1,940 (source: Department For Communities and Local Government).

English professional football’s maximum wage in 1950 was £12 a week, or £10 a week in the summer.